Facing the most intense June heatwave on record, SNCF announced on 25 June that passengers may exchange or cancel all TGV InOui and low-cost Ouigo tickets free of charge. The policy, confirmed by SNCF Voyageurs CEO Christophe Fanichet on X, applies to journeys up to and including 27 June and is triggered automatically in the SNCF Connect booking app. Temperatures exceeded 40 °C in multiple regions on 24 June, causing rail-infrastructure sensors to report metal-track dilation and overhead-line sagging. These risks force speed restrictions and sporadic service suspensions, leading to cascading delays that disrupt business itineraries and same-day return trips. By offering no-penalty refunds, SNCF aims to thin passenger loads and avoid overcrowded, under-air-conditioned carriages—some of which suffered HVAC failures earlier in the week. For corporate-mobility teams, the waiver simplifies re-booking decisions: travel managers can shift meetings online or reroute staff via cooler evening services without cost exposure. Expatriates relocating to France this summer should also note that removal-firms’ crew tickets are covered, allowing flexible move-in dates. Passengers must process changes through their original sales channel (SNCF Connect, Trainline, GDS) before the scheduled departure; otherwise normal fare rules resume. The SNCF says it will assess whether to extend the waiver if Meteo-France maintains red-alert status beyond Friday.
Source: Numerama
